Closing the Distance
by princessandthepen
Summary: What happens when Stephanie and Ranger grow apart after the events in Distance? This is a one shot sequel giving us a glimpse into their lives.


Closing the Distance

 _24 hours ago…_

I sat under the umbrella looking at the ocean. We'd been here for six months now. I'd never meant to stay this long. I'd just needed some space to put my life in perspective. Lester had been kind enough to let me stay at his condo in Miami and I'd found a job at a local boutique. We were comfortable and for the most part happy.

For a couple months though home had been calling my name. I wasn't sure I could go home not yet. Trenton was a dangerous place. Too many ghosts lurked on every corner. Memories of good and bad peering out at me no matter where I was. I rubbed my chest trying to soothe the ache.

I wondered how things had gone so wrong. How had I ended up living thousands of miles away from home with a child. Well, the child part had been pretty obvious I guess. What surprised me was how a child had changed everything. For the first two years we'd been for the most part happy together. Then one night everything flipped upside down and it's been that way ever since.

The phone ringing pulled me from my thoughts and I dug through the beach bag until I found it and the screen showed it was Lester.

"Hey," I sighed into the phone. "What's going on?"

"Steph honey," Les began.

"What's wrong?"

"It's your mom. She's had a heart attack. I think you need to come home."

 _Present day…_

Lester pulled me into a big bear hug before stooping down to peek in the stroller. Sam had mercifully slept most of the flight. Much to my relief as well as I'm sure everyone else on the flight. His nap had given me a chance to think and plan what our next steps would be once the plan landed.

"He's grown a foot since Christmas."

I gave him a grin and nod. "He goes through shoes faster than I can buy them."

I spotted a young man in a Rangeman uniform approaching us. Even though he was a stranger to me the uniform made him seem familiar. Les looked over his shoulder and followed my line of vision.

"Did you tell them we were coming?" I asked.

"Nope. Must have dinged your ID on the plane's manifest."

I rolled my eyes and turned to look at the screen to located the carousel number for the luggage claim. Finding the number I glanced around and started walking toward number seven. The irony wasn't lost on me, seven the number of months I'd been away.

 _"_ _Seven, unlucky number seven," I thought._

"Mrs. Manoso," the young man greeted me reaching out a hand. "Ranger said I should meet you and give take you and the boy back to Haywood. He also said I should tell you that your mom is stable and that tomorrow she'll have a Cardiac Catheterization to determine if she needs surgery."

"Thank you for the update but I called my dad from the tarmac when we landed. However, I'm not Mrs. Manoso, never have been, never will be. We aren't going to Haywood we're going to see my mom. Lester is here to drive us to the hospital. So you can please tell Ranger thanks but no thanks."

I spotted the blue suitcase circling toward us and I reached out to grab it.

"Let me, Beautiful." Lester said grabbing the handle and lifting the heavy bag with ease. "Is there another?"

I pointed to the black duffle bag approaching us "That bag. I didn't pack much I'll have to be back to work in a few days."

Les nodded, "I'm parked right outside the doors. I've got a guy watching the car but we should go before we make security too nervous."

"Mrs. Manoso, ma'am I have my orders. It would be best if you came with me."

I spun on my heel determined to give Ranger's message-boy a piece of my mind but Les stepped in and sent him back to Haywood saying he would be there shortly. Wisely the young man nodded and turned to walk away.

When I picked Sam up to put him in the car seat he woke and looked around. His dark brown eyes assessing the situation.

"Hey little man. We're here and guess what? Uncle Les is here too! Plus, we're going to see Gran and Papa."

A big grin crossed his face and he quickly turned his head to left spotting the movement from the back of the SUV. He'd inherited his father's instincts. He was always award of the people around us. There were times I wondered if it was a sixth sense.

"Uncle Les! We came on a plane!"

"I know buddy!"

"Mommy I'm hungry," Sam whined "I want pizzas."

Lester tired to hide a laugh behind a cough but it was obvious even to three year old Sam who started giggling.

I pulled a package of cheese crackers from my purse and handed them to Sam. "Munch on these and we'll get something for dinner in a bit, ok little man?"

Sam grabbed the bag in his little hand and sat back in the seat, I snapped the buckles and closed the door before hopping in the front seat.

Lester waved to another black clad Rangeman and pulled out of the loading lane. Soon we were on the familiar rode leading to Trenton from Newark.

"What's the plan?"

"I figured I'd called Ella and see if she could keep Sam for a bit while I went to hospital. Then I thought we'd go to the house tonight. Then in a couple weeks maybe back to Miami?"

"Stephanie, honey, you have to come home can't hide out forever."

"Don't start Lester. I come back when I can and when he's in Miami I always let him visit. Besides, Sam loves the beach."

Lester cut his eyes at me and then pushed down on the gas surging us forward on the turnpike. Much too soon we were pulling down the ramp into Trenton. The second we pulled off the ramp my heart jumped into my throat and I thought I might faint.

"Daddy?" Sam asked from the backseat.

"It's just a black car," I said. Sam thought every black car was Ranger. It seemed like that was his best memory of his dad. It made me sad but Ranger had made his choice. He'd made it obvious that he wasn't interested in forever with us. I hoped everyday we wouldn't see a car that mad Sam think of his dad. But it seemed everyone in Miami drove a black SUV no matter where we were we saw a car that had him pointing and saying Daddy.

"Daddy," Sam screamed louder slapping the window with his little hand. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Just as I was turning to try to calm him Lester slammed on the brakes and the Range Rover skidded to a stop in the middle of the intersection.

"What the hell, Les!"

"Daddy!," Sam screamed trying to pull at the buckles on his car seat. He was out of the seat banging on the door just as I realized that Ranger was walking toward the SUV.

"Drive Lester! Let's go!" I said through clenched teeth.

"Steph" Lester sighed looking over his shoulder at Sam. "You can't do this think of Sam. Let him see Ranger."

I knew he was right. Sam had seen Ranger and it would break his heart to drive away now. It was time to put my feelings about Ranger aside and be Sam's mom.

"I see him," I said turning in the seat to look at him, "settle down and let Uncle Les pull out of the street and we'll go say hi, I promise." Sam scrambled back into his carseat and clapped his hands. His eyes were so full of joy I felt a little tinge of jealousy that he'd never been that excited to see me. Even when I had spent the week after Christmas last year in Hawaii. When I picked him up from my parent's he'd seemed disappointed to go home.

 _"_ _That was a wasted week," I thought. "Well, the orgasms weren't a waste but then again Ranger was never bad in the bedroom it was the other rooms he'd had trouble with."_

Lester drove across the street to a parking lot and found a space near the back of the lot. I opened the back door and lifted Sam into my arms. Sam fought to get loose and I tightened my grip worried if I set him down he'd rush into traffic to get to Ranger. Once he was a few yards away I put Sam on the ground and he took off in a full sprint to get to the man he'd been looking for since we'd left in January.

I watched the reunion between father and son gripping on the frame of the truck door in an attempt to anchor myself in place. While Sam loved his dad, I wasn't sure what I felt for him anymore. Things were complicated to say the least.

Ranger took a few steps toward us while Sam remained tightly wrapped around his neck. Clutching to him as if he might vanish.

"Babe, I'm sorry I couldn't meet you at the airport. My flight from Atlanta was delayed because of a thunderstorm. I thought I saw you on the turnpike and I tried to flag you down I guess you didn't notice me."

"Sorry man," Les said, "Stephanie's worried about her mom and I was trying to get her to the hospital."

"Understandable," Ranger replied. "Is that where you're going now?"

I cleared my throat and tried to hide the shake in my voice. "I was going to see if Ella could keep him for a bit while I go to see my mom."

"I'll take Samuel with me and you two can go straight to the hospital."

"I… I don't know… " I stammered. "I mean…"

"Stephanie, I'm offering to help. I'll take him to Ella and she can watch him for you. Then when you're done visiting your mom you can come pick him up from the penthouse." Ranger said.

I rolled my eyes and looked past him toward the busy street. My hesitation wasn't that I didn't trust Ranger to care of Sam, my hesitation was that we'd never established any kind of custody agreement and I wasn't sure what would happen if he decided to just keep Sam away from me. I wondered what kind of agreement we could come to Ranger had always been there for us. But, he'd never lived with us at the house even when he stayed several nights a week he'd never put clothes in the closet and never left a toothbrush in the bathroom.

"Stephanie, I might be a complete fool when it comes to you." Ranger said, "but I swear I'd never take him from you, ever. You know that."

"Ok," I consisted, "just for a couple hours. Then I'll be there to pick him up we're staying at the house tonight. Let me get his bag."

Ranger slung the bright blue backpack over one shoulder and gave me a nod. "He'll be at Ella's waiting on you. I'll tell the men on the monitors to expect you. The codes have all changed recently. You'll need to get new fobs for the gate and elevator as well. Tell your mom I hope she feels better soon."

 _That night…_

I unlocked the door to the house and flipped on the light with my free hand. Ella had said she'd been here yesterday. When Ranger heard about my mom he'd asked her to come over to check on things because he thought I might come home. There were clean sheets on the crib and bed and some groceries in the kitchen. I'd have to remember to think Ranger for his thoughtfulness.

Sam stirred in my arms and I walked down the hallway to his room. After I got him settled in the bed I pulled off his shoes and pants and turned on the nightlight. Then I closed the door and walked to the kitchen and fixed a bowl of cereal for dinner. I sat down at the bar to eat.

 _"_ _You bought me a house?"_

 _"_ _I bought a house you both of you," Ranger said rubbing a hand over my swollen belly. "I hope you will want to live here and raise the baby. It's a nice house in one of the best neighborhoods. Plus Princeton school district is the best in the state."_

 _"_ _What about you?" I asked. "Where are you going to live?"_

 _"_ _I'll live at Haywood like always. Nothing is going to change Babe. I love you. I'll always love you. But we don't live together now. I don't think we should change that just because you're pregnant."_

 _"_ _Right," I said with a little forced cheeriness. "It looks like a nice house. I don't think I can afford to live here."_

 _"I've covered that Babe. I've made arrangements for you to receive the same monetary support as Rachel. I love you, both of you and I want to make sure you're comfortable and cared for."_

 _"I don't care about the money, Ranger, I care about you."_

 _"I know and I care about you, I'll be here all the time. You'll see it will be like we're a family. Will you move in here, Babe?"_

 _"Okay," I whispered. "If it will make you happy."_

"How did I miss that clue?" I muttered rinsing my bowl in the sink.

"What clue?" Ranger asked.

I dropped the bowl and it shattered on the kitchen floor. The crash woke Sam who started crying.

"Ranger what the hell are you doing here?" I asked hurrying past him to check on my son.

"You're here with my son. Why would I not be here?"

"Mommy. Mommy I woke up."

"Shhh… it's ok son. It's not morning yet. Go back to sleep sweetie," I said stroking his dark hair smoothing down the curls. After a few minutes he gave a sweet yawn and his breathing evened out so I knew he was asleep again.

I stepped into the hall and found Ranger waiting leaning against the opposite wall. I closed the door and headed back to the kitchen to sweep up the broken glass.

"I cleaned it up. Stephanie we need to talk."

"Didn't you say it all already? I mean what else is there to say?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?" I shook my head trying to figure if I heard what he said.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I've fucked this up so much. We should be married, living here raising Samuel together. I instead you're living a thousand miles away and I only see my son once a month and it's all my fault."

"Ranger it's been a long day we got up early…"

"Let me finish, please. If I don't say this now another seven months could pass by."

"I don't know…"

"Ten minutes, give me ten minutes and then I'll go, I promise."

"You keep saying promise, but I don't think you know what that word means."

"Ten minutes, please."

I nodded and sank into one of the chairs in the dining room.

"Babe, I love you. You have to know that. For a long time that scared me. Then I accepted it and things were good between us. Then you got pregnant and I won't lie to you, that scared me more How could I protect and love someone so innocent? But I knew I had to be a man and stand by you. But I thought if I kept some distance between us it might keep the crazies away and for the most part it did. Then I saw that perfect little boy on the ultra sound and my heart didn't belong to me anymore it belonged to you and him."

"What's your point Ranger? Why are you telling me this?"

"I know that I proposed and then I took it back the night before we were supposed to be married. That was the biggest mistake of my life. Every single day since you stood up and walked out the door I've regretted it. Babe, that little boy in there, that perfect little boy that's the greatest gift I've ever had and without realizing it I let it go. I want you both. I want to be a family. I want to see you in the morning when I wake up and i want to rock him to sleep at night. I want to have dinner at this table and hear all the amazing things he did during the day. Babe, I bought this house to be our home but I screwed up and that didn't happen. Can you give me a second chance?"

I tried to turn my head into the shadow of the room so he couldn't see my tears. But Ranger he didn't need to see them to know. He knew my heart from the inside out and he knew after Sam he was my greatest weakness.

"Ranger I love you. I never stopped loving you. But I'm scared. What if you change your mind? What if you hurt me or worse what if you hurt our son?"

"I won't. I promise. I know you're having a hard time trusting me because of Hawaii but I swear if you give me a chance I'll prove to you I'm the man you want me to be."

Six months later…

"Aloha! Welcome to paradise. Can I have the name on the reservation?"

"Reservation is for Manoso."

"Oh I see you're booked in the Honeymoon Suite! Congratulations!"

"We're not married yet, tomorrow morning at dawn," Ranger said.

"Why dawn?" the lady behind the reception desk asked looking perplexed at the early wedding time.

"I can't live another day without this amazing woman as my wife."

The lady behind the counter swooned a little but she quickly pulled it together and passed us the key cards. "I'm sure you'll be very happy together. Best wishes."

"Thank you. I know beyond a doubt we will be, I promise."

 _The next afternoon…_

I sat under the umbrella of our private beach looking at the ocean. We'd been here 24 hours and I was Stephanie Manoso. We were staying in an amazing suite and I was wearing a diamond band on my left hand. We were comfortable and completely happy.


End file.
